How did you learn to cook?

Question

from cookbooks? tv? watching a parent or someone else?
and how long did it take you to feel like you "knew" how to cook?
i'm sort of wading through cookbooks and random internet recipes and trying to figure out if it's always going to be this frustrating and take this long... thanks :)

Answer 1

i picked up some basics from watching my mom, but really learned most of it by doing as an adult. it took me five or six years until i felt confident that i could call myself a decent cook.

but you can eat well and be less frustrated if you pick five easy recipes that you like and use those as your base. quiche is really easy if you buy frozen crusts. a lot of soups are really easy, too, especially broth-based vegetable soups.

you then just add one recipe every month or two to your "base" and pretty soon, you'll be a decent cook.

tips:

1. get a 3-ring binder and copy out any recipe you really like onto a sheet of paper that you put in the binder. it'll help you remember the recipe better, and it'll make your whole life easier to have all your favorite recipes in one place, rather than having to go look for them in a bunch of different cookbooks. my mom uses index cards for this.

2. a good way to experiment with new ingredients is to try them out on old recipes. sandwiches are a great way to find out how things taste together. try out different breads, different sauces (to use as condiments), different greens (sprouts instead of lettuce), different meats, cheeses, and nut butters, etc. also, you once you've figured out stir frying (see below) you can try out pretty much every vegetable and meat out there.

3. fancy up your meals by seperating out courses, rather than serving them all at once. salad is a really easy course: just pick some nice greens you've never tried before and toss them in sea salt and sesame oil, or in olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar. you don't need to put anything else on it, but if you must, some shaved almonds are nice.

4. stir frying is really easy and quick and you don't need a wok to do it, just a good non-stick frying pan. cut up chicken or beef and vegetables into chunks. onions, bell peppers and broccoli are always good. spray some canola oil in the hot pan, wait until it gets hot, and then toss all the meat and veggie chunks in together and stir until the meat is done. toss some salt and pepper on it while you're stirring. you don't need sauce or gravy but if you must, mix some soy sauce, sesame oil, and water in a bowl with a tablespoon or two of flour and then toss this into the pan at the very end and let it thicken. serve with rice or whatever starch you want.

5. you can make dinner seem really fancy with a nice dessert, but the secret is, serve ice cream with berries and a little plum wine or bailey's poured over the top. easy.

6. be sure you have the right kitchen utensils. you'll need two good, nonstick pans, one big and one small; two pots with lids, one big and one small, a butcher knife, a serrated knife (bread or tomato knife) and a small paring knife; a plastic and a metal spatula; a large spoon and a wooden spoon. a colander and/or mesh strainer; a cutting board. these are the absolute basics.

good luck, and remember to enjoy yourself! it's like fingerpainting, but with food!

Answer 2

Ha! I had my first job when I was twelve and my aunt bought a cafe, which is where I learned to cook from. The problem with that is that everytime I make something it's enough for 10 people. However, if you are just starting to learn, I would highly recommend a cookbook like the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook because it devotes an entire chapter just to the basics of cooking. Additionally the recipes range from simple to complex. But now that I've been cooking for awhile I can often recreate what I find in resaurants without too much difficulty. Don't be too frustrated, there is a definate learning curve when it comes to cooking. It will get easier the more you do it until you reach the point where you can make just about anything.

Answer 3

I learned and am continuing to learn how to cook through cookbooks, TV cooking shows, watching my mom or someone else.

Another way is by sampling things that other people bring to potlucks. I ask them for their recipe if I liked it.

On the Recipezaar.com website, I look at the ones that are rated by others and take into consideration what others have done if they didn't have a particular ingredient and substituted something else or adjusted it to what they like.

I also look for short easy recipes for things that I like to eat and may want to try.

I don't know how old you are, but I have regretted that I didn't learn how to cook from my mom when I was younger. She's in her mid 80's now and lives far away. I miss the recipes she used to make when I was growing up. So if you have the opportunity, set up a day each week to cook together with her (or someone else) where you can ask questions or see the techniques they use.

One book you might want to check out on Amazon.com is called "How to Cook without a Book" by Pamela Anderson. It tells you different techniques on cooking. Once you get the techniques down on making sauces or altering recipes, everything will be easier. Also read the reader's reviews to see what they thought of the book and preview some of the book on the website.

I agree with a lot of what Sweetness posted too. Don't stress!! It will come to you in time.

Answer 4

I was 7 when my mom would have me at the stove and I did learn alot from her but by the time I was 10 my Dad worked nights in a meat packing plant and when he would come home in the mornings he would bring different kinds of meat home and tell me to create something for dinner so every afternoon when my 4 younger brothers and I came home from school I would do my chores watch my brothers and just start mixing and matching spices and foods until I had come up with something different every day we did not have cook books or any thing like that now I am 55 and still don't use cook books and if I do hear of or taste something I like I can just use my imagination and recreate it and I still experiment when I cook and come up with some really yummy stuff I just made up a crab bake that is awesome

Answer 5

Watching my grandmother was a great help. But it was really through experimenting that I learned. At first, I would always seek my grandma's advise as to how much of a certain ingredient should be used or whether a certain meat is already cooked. As time went by, I realized I would only really learn if I try and do it on my own. I wouldn't always end up with "perfect" dishes but now I can say that I could pull quite a few recipes off. My sister even says she loves my cooking! So don't be afraid to experiment and just be patient.

Answer 6

The more experience you have the better and easier it becomes. Baking needs to be precise in that the amounts of ingredients need to be pretty close for the recipe to work. My mom could make biscuits and I could too later on without a recipe. Only flour, oil or shortening, baking powder and milk. Then she said don't handle it any more than you have to or they will be tough. I got good at it when my kids were home and I cooked a lot. Not now! So, with other things like roasts and soups and things like that you can put in the things you like and leave out what you don't like. I take a cheap roast put it into the crock pot and put some pepper and some garlic powder on it and let it go for at least 6-7 hrs. It is so tender you don't need a knife. Add potatoes and carrots after the first 2 hrs. or cook that by itself. You can get as complicated or as easy as a crock pot and frozen veggies and canned tomatoes with hamburger fried up with onions and put in the pot. That is great and some spices too. That makes a great soup on a cold day. Let it cook for a few hours and eat it whenever you are hungry...it makes a couple of meals at least. So, no it won't always be hard if you enjoy it and aren't afraid to just go for it at times. Try simple foods and the fewer the ingredients the better, then add what you like. Maybe a Betty Crocker Cookbook from the library and copy a few recipes from there. Also, making lasagna or meatballs is easy and makes you look good. You can freeze it too for later when you don't have time to cook. That is the best way...cook and freeze and make more than a one meal thing so you aren't cooking from scratch every day. Freezing most things is fine for 3-6 mos. So just take it slow and don't make it too complicated...save that for special occasions. Good luck. Miss Mary

Answer 7

I figured out how to cook by reading magazines, cookbooks, and working as a server in a nice restaurant. Also, eating out alot. You soon start noticing ingredients that will work together every time in different ways. I didn't cook in college but rather learned at about 24. I am 30 now, and constantly getting better. Butter, cheese, garlic, herbs, and fresh ingredients will always taste good. I also loved the book Cooking for Mr. Latte and Under The Tuscan Sun (not like the movie AT ALL) which really got me excited about cooking. Have fun!

Answer 8

I learned how to cook from my mother. I watched her cook, when I was little. I have a aunt, who was not a good cook. Now she's a great cook. She started by trying new recipes. Not family recipes. It's less intimidating, no pressure . To make it exactly like family member, that specializes in that dish. Try making simple comfort foods. Try them out on a lover or close friend. Then try out , on co-workers then family functions. The feedback will tell you if dishes are good. Then try family recipes and make it your own. You'll have the confidence.

Answer 9

I first learned how to cook when I was 12 yrs. old from
my step-mother. One of my chores was to cook dinner once a week for the family. But I really learned how to cook good in junior high school in a cooking class.

Answer 10

My Mama and other family member taught me as I was growing up. I was home a lot during the day growing up (I was home schooled) so I got bored a lot and played with cookbooks and stuff. Also, my brother-in-law used to be the chef at a restaurant and that didn't hurt any! ;] I used to practice on my Sunday School Class hahaha.

Just play around with recipe websites like AllRecipe.com and cookbooks and cooking magazines and have confidence in yourself. Anyone can cook, you just have to find what is easiest for you! It won't always be this frustrating, you will be much more comfortable with your cooking skills in time!

Answer 11

My Father insisted that men should learn to cook;-}
if only in self defense. I started with bacon & eggs.
Then I moved up to grilled cheese sandwiches.
I earned my cooking badge in Boy Scouts, making stew.
Pasta dishes are really easy to improvise.
The crock-pot is a wonderful cooking tool.
The BBQ/Grill is a basic cooking tool for men (simple).
I haven't tackled baking yet;-{ that takes precision.
Cookbooks are only for general ideas, experiment.
I watch the cooking channel, when I get a chance.
My current specialty is making soups.